Being likeable at work has always been important. It’s simple. People want to work with other people whom they like. Nobody wants to work with a jerk. According to the WSJ, with the rise of social media and video teleconferencing, likability is more critical now than ever before. Are you a likeable person at work? These 9 tips will help you be sure the answer is yes.

I can tell you from experience that on social media, being likeable is very important in order to grow a large following. In addition to that, career recruiters are now looking at a person’s online likability as a gauge to measure how likeable they’ll be in the office.

When talking about video conferencing, the topic of likability gets a bit more complicated. The WSJ article I linked above goes into detail about likability as it relates specifically to video conferencing.

I consider likability to be a specialized social skill. And like most social skills, a person can learn to be likeable. If you don’t have this skill, it’s definitely worth learning. There are many professional situations where being likeable might be the only thing that sets you apart from someone else. It can definitely give you an edge, and a competitive advantage.

One of the best articles I’ve read on this topic is 6 Habits of Remarkably Likeable People on Inc. These two charts below by Yumi Sakugawa are also very helpful. There is a common thread in the WSJ article, the Inc. article and both of the charts below. When communicating at work (and in life), the key is to make the other person feel comfortable and at ease.

If you can make the people around you feel comfortable (even if they just met you), you will hold the key that will unlock new doors in and out of your office environment. If you have any additional tips, please share them in the comment section below.

Diana is a USC graduate, tech entrepreneur and member of the Apple Consultants Network. She has written 4,200+ blog posts around the blogosphere. She loves innovation, creativity and grande Java Chips. She's also a frequent user of the force. Connect with her on Twitter at @adamsconsulting or email me at [email protected].

Diana Adams

Diana is a USC graduate, tech entrepreneur and member of the Apple Consultants Network. She has written 4,200+ blog posts around the blogosphere. She loves innovation, creativity and grande Java Chips. She’s also a frequent user of the force. Connect with her on Twitter at @adamsconsulting or email me at [email protected].